Audio problems with HD200

[redflight]

I have a bunch of audio issues, not all necessarily HD200:

1) if I use SPDIF optical output to my audio receiver, the audio cuts out for a couple seconds at the beginning of each track when playing my ripped CDs in My Music. But the problem does NOT occur when using the analog RCA audio output.

2) With SPDIF optical output, my Sage remote can control the volume of My Music, but TV is constant volume. Any way to make both adjustable from Sage?

3) If I decide to use analog audio output (red and white RCA cables to my digital capable receiver) can I get 5.1 surround sound? My Music and My TV volumes are way softer than with optical, and Music is louder than TV.

4) I have a bad video sync (lip sync) problem. Audio leads the picture by probably 100+ mS, regardless of whether I am using optical or analog audio out. It is probably my flatscreen video processing delay. The delay is constant; does not increase with time. How can I correct for this? (the flatscreen does not have a delay setting; I tried 'game mode' which makes the delay better but the picture worse; flatscreen does not output audio for HDMI input; my receiver cannot program a delay for the main speakers.)

Thanks for any help you can give.


setup:
running Sage sw v 6.6.2.218 on a WinXP PC server in basement
HD200 sw version 6.5.20.1 fw version 20090903 0
HD200 feeding video to Samsung UN46C6500 1080p flatscreen via HDMI
Java 1.6.0_11
SageMC 6.3.9a
Current Stv sageMC_169-1.xml
Stv v 2009120901

[Taddeusz]

1) ?

2) Only if you disable bitstreaming of Dolby Digital which converts it to stereo. You'd lose 5.1ch surround sound.

3) No, you can only get surround sound with spdif optical or coax, not with stereo RCA jacks.

4) ?

[redflight]

Thanks Taddeusz,

I'm now thinking problem 1 is more related to my amplifier. It seems to get some audio format signal from the HD200 at the beginning of the track and takes a couple seconds to configure.

So if I understand correctly, the only way to get 5.1 from the HD200 is by using SPDIF, and if I want 5.1 then I cannot adjust the volume from Sage. Is this right?

thanks.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by redflight

So if I understand correctly, the only way to get 5.1 from the HD200 is by using SPDIF, and if I want 5.1 then I cannot adjust the volume from Sage. Is this right?

Correct. You can only adjust the volume using the HD200 if it's an audio format that gets converted to PCM (i.e. MP3, MP2, AAC, FLAC, etc.). If it is Dolby Digital (AC3) or DTS and you have bitstreaming enabled all the HD200 does is pass the audio unmodified through to your receiver. There is no way for the HD200 to change the volume of bitstreamed audio.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by redflight

I'm now thinking problem 1 is more related to my amplifier. It seems to get some audio format signal from the HD200 at the beginning of the track and takes a couple seconds to configure.

My Onkyo does this and it's driven me batty.

[NegativeEntropy]

My Onkyo does this and it's driven me batty.

As does mine. At the start of each new track. If I back up with rewind it plays it as it should, so it does appear to be a receiver thing. Very annoying (in fact I came here just to search on it and found this thread on the front page).

I (and I'm guessing many others) would appreciate a work around. Perhaps a setting in sage to delay the start of each track "post sync"?

I'm connected with HDMI. I'm playing .wav files, not that I think it matters.